Abstract
The lower 200 km of the Missouri River basin provides an interesting case for examining crop selection strategies and cropping systems. Between cal A.D. 650 and 1200, so-called Late Woodland and Mississippian populations occupied the Missouri River floodplain and tributary valleys. Multiple lines
of evidence, including crop selection, show considerable interaction between central and eastern Missouri populations, and boundaries between these areas are more tenuous and permeable than had once been interpreted. In this study, we assess intersite variability in the presence of starchy seeds and maize for eleven sites. We explore ecological and cultural variables affecting the decision to adopt maize cultivation at some sites and to continue to rely on members of the starchy-seed complex at others.
Original language | American English |
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State | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Maize
- Midwest
- Paleoethnobotany
- Prehistoric period
Disciplines
- Agriculture
- Anthropology
- Archaeological Anthropology